Fruit photosynthesis

Abstract. In addition to photosynthesis as in the leaf, fruit possess a system which refixes CO₂ from the mitochondrial respiration of predominantly imported carbon. This pathway produces malate by the action of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, PEPC, (E.C. 4.1.1.31) and appears to be regulated primarily by the cytosolic concentration of HCO₃/CO₂ and malate. Malate is stored in the vacuole as malic acid, constituting a major carbon pool and a potential substrate for respiration. The PEPC in apple fruit proves to be an efficient form of the enzyme with low Michaelis constants, i.e. Km = 0.09 mol m^-3 PEP and 0.2 mol m^–3 HCO₃, and large Ki= 110 mol m^-3 HCO³. In fleshy fruit, chlorophyll and chloroplasts are unevenly distributed; they resemble the C₃ sun-type and arc concentrated in the perivascular tissue, with smaller chloroplasts, fewer grana per chloroplast and a larger degree of vacuolation than commonly found in a leaf of the same species. Fruit photosynthesis often compensates for respiratory CO₂ loss in the light. However, due to respiration in the dark, CO₂ loss is in excess of photosynthetic gain in the light, such that a continual loss of CO₂ was observed in the diurnal cycle and which is maintained throughout fruit development. The rate of CO₂ exchange decreases on a fresh weight or surface basis, but increases with fruit ontogeny on a per fruit basis, causing accumulation of several percent CO₂ in the internal cavity. Stomata are present in the outer epidermis of those fruits examined, but with a 10-to 100-fold lesser frequency than in the abaxial epidermis of leaf of the same species. The number of Stomata is set at anthesis and remained constant, while the stomatal frequency decreases as the fruit surface expands. Stomata are as sensitive as in leaves in the early stages of fruit development, but often are transformed into lenticels during fruit ontogeny, thereby decreasing the permeability of the outer epidermis. The discrepancy between the CO₂-concentrating mechanism provided by PEPC analogous to C₄/CAM Photosynthesis and the kinetics of fruit PEPC, characteristic of C₃/non-autotrophic tissue, suggests the definition of a new type of ‘fruit photosynthesis’ rather than its categorization within an existing type.     

土层浅薄地区植物水分来源研究方法

植物水分来源取决于环境中有效水的分布及植物获取水分的能力.旱季,土层浅薄地区土壤水无法满足植物生长的需要,植物能否利用风化基岩层水分是其能否维持正常水分消耗的关键.本文综述了4种土层浅薄地区植物水分来源的研究方法,包括调查和分析植物根系生长与分布特征、监测地表以下各层次水分变化、监测并分析植物体水分指标季节变化以及运用稳定同位素技术区分植物水分来源,并进一步分析了各种方法的优势和局限性及其在我国西南喀斯特地区植物水分来源研究中的应用前景.     

葡萄叶中总黄酮的提取工艺研究

目的：从葡萄叶中提取总黄酮。方法：采用正交试验法研究葡萄叶总黄酮的最佳提取工艺条件,考察了乙醇浓度、回流温度、回流时间及料液比四因素对葡萄叶总黄酮提取率的影响。结果：确立了葡萄叶总黄酮最佳提取条件为：45％的乙醇为溶剂、液料比为1：40、提取温度为60％、提取时间2h,在最佳工艺条件下葡萄叶总黄酮含量为5．329mg／g。     

Biocontrol potential of two novel grapevine associated Bacillus strains for management of anthracnose disease caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides

A study was conducted to identify bacterial antagonists for biological control of anthracnose which is one of the economically important diseases of grapes. In India, it is caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. Two hundred and ninety-three bacteria were isolated from the grape ecosystem of 43 spatially distant vineyards in peninsular India. Of these, 25 bacteria substantially inhibited the radial growth of C. gloeosporioides in in vitro studies and 18 bacteria significantly reduced infections in vivo. Of these 18 bacteria, 5 and 3 bacteria also significantly reduced percent disease index (PDI) of downy and powdery mildew diseases, respectively. These bacteria were labelled as strains, DR-38, DR-39, TL-171, DRo-198, TS-204, TS-205, and DR-219, and were identified as Bacillus species based on morphological and molecular characterisation. Aqueous suspensions of all these strains applied as foliar sprays at 1×10⁸ cfu/ml on field grown vines significantly lowered the PDI and the AUDPC (area under disease progress curve) of anthracnose when compared with the untreated control, except DRo-198. Strains TS-204 and TL-171 recorded lower PDIs and AUDPC when compared with the other five strains, and TS-204 could effectively suppress ripe rot of berries, too, in vivo. Strains TS-204 and TL-171 are identified for biocontrol of anthracnose in grapes.     

Downregulated Lipid Metabolism in Differentiated Murine Adipocytes by Procyanidins from Defatted Grape Seed Meal

Recent reports have proposed possible anti-obesity mechanisms for antioxidants involving increased energy expenditure, pre-adipocyte differentiation and proliferation, decreased lipogenesis and increased lipolysis, and fat oxidation. The aim of this study was to examine and to confirm the anti-obesity effect of the oligomeric and polymeric procyanidin fractions from defatted grape seeds. The lipid metabolism-related mRNA level in the mouse preadipocytes, 3T3-L1 cells, was determined to evaluate the anti-obesity effect of the phenolic fractions from a grape seed meal. Lipid accumulation was reduced by 19% of the control level by the procyanidin fraction originating from the grape seed meal. Emerging from the effect of the treatment on HSL and LPL mRNA expression, lipolytic enzyme activity was not involved in the anti-obesity effects of CPE and FPP from the defatted grape seed meal. We tested and confirmed in this study the effect of the biological activities of oligomeric and polymeric procyanidins from the defatted grape seed meal. It is suggested from the results of this brief study that further studies would be desirable to focus on the anti-obesity effect of the purified extracts of a defatted grape seed meal.     

Effects of inorganic nitrogen sources on spore germination and gametophyte growth in Botrychium dissectum

Abstract. The effects of variations in nitrogen source upon spore germination and gametophyte growth of the eusporangiate fern Botrychium dissectum forma obliquum were investigated. Spore germination and early gametophyte growth were directly related to the oxidation level of the supplied nitrogen source. Nitrate and nitrite inhibited spore germination and at concentrations above 0.035 mol m^-3 prevented it entirely. Ammonium promoted germination well above the levels attained on media without nitrogen. Concentrations of ammonium greater than 0.035 mol m^-3 often resulted in germination above 90%. The growth of young gametophytes from spores was reduced on media without nitrogen or on media with high concentrations of nitrate. Ammonium stimulated the growth of both young and older gametophytes. However, older gametophytes were able to grow on media containing nitrate as the sole nitrogen source. We conclude that a reduced nitrogen source is necessary for spore germination and early growth of Botrychium gametophytes. This requirement has several ecological implications which may be related to the distribution of these ferns and the establishment of mycorrhizal associations.     

Changes and importance of oligomeric procyanidins during maturation of grape seeds

Flavans and procyanidins from the seeds of different grape varieties were separated and identified using HPLC techniques. The compounds identified were (+)-catechin and (?)-epicatechin, dimeric procyanidins B1, B2, B3 and B4, trimeric procyanidin C2 and gallic acid. During maturation of the grape berries, the flavan-3-ol content fell in the seeds whereas procyanidin levels increased. This suggests an interrelationship between the compounds. There was also evidence of varietal differences in the amounts of phenolic compounds in grape seeds.